Lola Jean Domer Peterson, 81
Lola Jean Domer Peterson left her earthly bonds Feb.16, 2019, in Kalispell, after a short but valiant battle with cancer. Her family and the staff at Brendan House will remember her for the twinkle in her eye and the laughter she shared.
Lola was born on July 10, 1937, in Bozeman. Her parents were Ralph and Anna Maud (Lemons) Domer. Lola attended grade school in Manhattan and East Helena, Montana, and Seattle and Kent, Washington. She graduated from Helena High school in 1957. She met Great Falls Airman Dean Flanagan at one of the local drive-ins. They were married June 14, 1958, on her brother Ray’s 12th birthday. Lola and Dean had two daughters together. They divorced in 1978. She married the love of her life Lawrence Peterson June 17, 1978.
After graduation Lola spent a summer working as a maid at the Old Faithful Inn in Yellowstone National Park. She returned to Helena and went to work for Holter Hardware. She worked a summer in the old St. Pete’s Hospital on the 11th floor, which was called the “Baby Floor,” as a candy striper. She worked a year at J.C.Penney’s and 12 years for Blue Shield as a keypunch operator, retiring in 1988. She then went to work for Master Cleaners. In 1992 she started her own cleaning business, LALO House Cleaning, which she retired from in 2005.
She and Larry enjoyed traveling going as far east as Florida, south to Mexico, west to California and north to Canada and Alaska. They liked Alaska so much that they took three cruises. She and Larry loved to camp. Her hobbies were embroidery, reading and dot-to-dots.
In 1995 Lola and Larry were involved in a Franklin Graham Crusade. In 1998 they headed up a ministry called “Song Pro-ductions” in which they brought several Christian artists to Montana for concerts. As a girl Lola was a Brownie and a Girl Scout; she was also involved in 4-H. When her daughters were growing up she was a Brownie leader.
Lola was preceded in death by both of her parents, her husband Larry, a sister-in-law Gladys and brother-in-law Don Marion, and two stepchildren Sharon Peterson and Gloria Peterson Kinney.
She is survived by daughters, Vivian and husband Chuck Allen of Columbia Falls, and Penelope and husband Pete Quien of Kalispell; stepchildren, Catherine Hartsfield of Oklahoma, and Debi and Richard Peterson of Helena; brother Ray Domer and partner Kim Garrison of Helena; grandchildren, Amanda Allen of Nashville, Tennessee, Joshua Allen of San Francisco, and Amber Walter of Columbia Falls; step-grandchildren, Erin Jenison of Helena, Eric and Ben Hartsfield of Florida, Christopher Hartsfield of Indiana, Sara and husband Andy Baker of Florida; two great-grandchildren and four step-great-grandchildren; several nieces and nephews and cousins.
The family plans to have a celebration of Lola’s life later this spring. We would also like to thank the staff of Brendan House for the love, care and support they gave our family and Lola throughout her stay with them.
Please visit www.aswfuneralhome.com to offer a condolence to the family or to share a memory of Lola.